Automatic valve



0. MAASS.

AUTOMATIC VALVE.

AFPL'CATION FILED APR. I5, 1918. 1,348,505. Patented Aug. 3, 1920.

V4 f 20 a f /2 /3 5 a2 FLQQ24 a A 1F l4 a- P a 6 n c A J M Mren/dr 0%0 fiaas UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

OTTO MAASS, OF MONTREAL, QUEBEC, CANADA.

AUTOMATIC VALVE.

Application filed April 15,

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, Orro Manes, a subject of the King of Great Britain, and resident of the city of Montreal, in the Province of Quebec and Dominion of Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improve ments in Automatic Valves, of which the following is a. full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to improvements in automatic valves and particularly for valves-,4 designed to control variations of pressure or suction.

The valve is particularly designed to control the oscillations of a column of liquid, as for example in a Toplcr mercury vacuum pump.

A further object is to provide a valve, which will be entirely automatic and certain in its action and which may be regulated to produce any desired variations in suction or pressure and also any desired variations in the time through which the suction or pressure is effective.

A still further object is to provide a valve which will be absolutely free from wear, So that perfect closures will be obtained at all times.

The device consists briefly of a U tube holding a liquid and connected at its ends to liquid reservoirs. An intermediate point in the U tube is by-passed to one of the reservoirs and this reservoir is also by-passed to the other reservoir. Connections are established whereby different air or gas pressures are obtained in the reservoirs. Means are provided for regulating at least one of the gas pressures and also for regulating the speed of liquid movement in the appara tus.

The annexed drawing is a diagrammatic view of the apparatus.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, 11 and 12 designate the arms of a U tube. The upper end of the arm 11 connects with the bottom of a liquid reservoir 13, while the upper extremity of the arm 12 is bent in inverted U shape and connects with the to of a liquid reservoir 14. At a point 15 in the arm 12, a bypass tube 16 is connected, which leads through an inverted U bend 17 into the reservoir 14. The bottom of the reservoir 14 is by-passe d through a tube 18 to the top of the reservoir 13; the tube passing some distance down into the reservoir 13, as clearly shown. A tube 19 is Specification of Letters Patent.

1918. Serial No. 228.732.

connected to the reservoir 13 above the mouth of the tube 18 and a tube 20 connects with the inverted U portion of the tube arm 12. These tubes 19 and 20 form differential pressure passages and are provided respectively with valves 21 and 22.

In order to regulate the time of liquid flow in the apparatus, a valve 23 is provided in the tube arm 11 and a valve 21 in the tube '18. It may conveniently be stated that these valves and 2 1 may be replaced by permanent coustrhrtions in the size of the tubes. where the rate of flow is exactly established and will not require adjustment. In order to regulate the difference of pressures, a further pressure tube 25 is provided which extends down into a closed vessel 26, its mouth being below the surface of a liquid 27 contained in the vessel. The vessel is connected above the liquid with the tube 20 by a tube 28, which is provided with a valve 29 for the purpose of cutting off the regulating apparatus when desired. The pressure through this apparatus varies according to the depth of the column of liquid. through which the gas rises from the mouth of the tube 25. In order to regulate the height of this column. the vessel is provided with a valve controlled filling means 30 at the top and a. valve controlled outlet 31 at the bottom.

A tube 32 branches from the tube 19 between the valve 21 and the reservoir 13 and is designed for the purpose of connecting the apparatus with any apparatus which it is to control. This tube may be provided with a valve 33.

It has been stated at the commencement of this specification that the valve just described is designed to regulate the oscillations of liquid, for example, in a device such as a Topler mercury vacuum pump. For such a purpose. the tube 19 is connected with any suitable type of suction apparatus and either the tube 20 or the tube 25 left open to the atmosphere. It will be understood, however, that so far as the operation of the valve is concerned, it will operate equally well if a pressure is supplied through the tube 20. For purposes of description, the suction arrangement alone will be considered.

The apparatus is of course closed to the atmosphere except where air is permitted to enter through the tube 20 or 25. It will first be assumed that the valve 29 is closed,

Patented Aug. 3, 1920.

so that air at atmospheric pressure enters through the tube 20. It predetermined amount of liquid, preferably mercury on account of its short barometric column, is placed in the Ll-tube and lills the same anal a part of the tube 16 to approximately the level 0. The valve 2 is closed. and additional liquid inserted in the reservoir 13 to lill the same to approximately the level 1). In order to get the apparatus in operative condition the valve 23 is then opened and the liquid assumes the level 0, which it will be noted is above the bend 17 of the tube 16, with the result that the liquid in the long arm of the tube 16 and in the tube 12 above the point 15 siphons over into the reservoir 1+1, filling the same to the level 65. This removal of lit aid from the U-tube causes the liquid therein and in the tube 16 to fall to approximately the level 6. To set the apparatus in operation the tube 19 is connected. to a suitable suction apparatus, so that air in the reservoir 13 is partially evacual ed. The smile rareiivation takes place in the tube 18 above the liquid. Atmospheric pressure is exerted in the arm 12 of the U- tube and in the reservoir 14. The result is that the liquid shifts from the levels d and e to the level 7. It will be noted that this level in the tube 18 is at its highest point. Continued evacuation of air causes the atmospheric pressure to carry the liquid through the tube 18 into the reservoir 13, until the tube 18 is empty and the liquid is at the level g in the reservoir 13. At the instant this level is reached, the tube 19 is empty and atmospheric pressure is admitted through it to the reservoir 13 and sucion pipe 19. This condition of course all niits atmospheric pressure to both the tubes 1.1 and 12, so that the liquid levels therein immediately equalize. In so doing, they return to the level 6 and siphonic action then automatically transfers a portion of the liquid to the reservoir 14:, thus closing the bottom bend of the tube 18 and cutting off atmospheric pressure from the reservoir '13 and suction tube 19. The action then revommences. It will thus be seen that an intermittent suction occurs in the branch tube 32 and that any apparatus connected to this tube will be subjected to alternate atmospheric and sub-atmospheric pressures, or in other words, to alternate suction and release. If super-atmospheric pressure is supplied to the tube 20 and the valve 21 of tube 19 closed, it will be obvious that apparatus connected to the branch tube 32 will be subjected to alternate atmospheric and super-atmospheric pressures. The column of liquid represented by the difference in the levels ff in the tube arms 11 and 12 is normally equal in height to the column of liquid contained between the lowest and highest points of the tube 18. This must obviously be so, as the two columns are drawn by the same suction and supported by the same pressure. The height of this column is therefore dependent on the pressure supplied through. the tube 20, and it is therefore obvious that it represents the difference between atn'iospheric pressure and the suction. It is found desirable to provide means for regulating the pressure in the tube 3-2. This regulation is effected by means of the elements 25, 26 and 27. The valves 30 and 31. being closed and a prede termined amount of liquid 27 placed in the vessel 26, the valve 29 is opened and the valve 22 closed. Air at atmospheric pressure then enters through the tube 25 and, in order to escape into the vessel 26, is com- )HllGd to displace a column of liquid, designated r, in the tube 25. The air then bubblcs up through the liquid in the vessel 26 and flows through the tube 28 into the tube 2t. it is perl ertly clear that the air will have lost pressure in accordance with the height of the column 1" and will therefore exert that much less force on the liquid flowing through the tubes 11, 12 and 18, so that the pressure will be reduced by the height of the column 7' and the difference between the pressures in tubes 25 and 32 is represented by the height of the column a: plus 7. The amount of liquid in the vessel 26 may be adjusted by adding more through the valve controlled inlet or removing some through the valve controlled outlet 31.

ll hen it is desired to regulate the time of liquid How in the apparatus, the valves 23 and 21 are adjusted. By partly closing the valve 23, the period of liquid fall from level w is increased and therefore the period of suction released is prolonged. If the valve 24 is partly closed, it willprolong the time of liquid flow through the tube 18 and therefore prolong the time the suction is effected. It will be seen that by means of these two valves, the device may be adjusted to give long periods of suction with short periods of release, or long periods of release with short periods of suction, as well as equal periods oi suction and release.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. In a device of the character described, high and low pressure conduits, a connection therebetween and liquid means for auto matically and intermittently closing the con nection between said. conduits.

2. In a device of the class described, high and low pressure conduits, and liquid means operating automatically by the differential pressure to alternately connect and disconnect said conduits.

3. A device according to claim 1 having means for regulating the duration and frequency of the closure periods.

4. device according to claim 2, having means for regulating the duration and frequency of the periods of connection and disconnection.

5. A device according to claim 1 having means for regulating the duration of periods of connection and disconnection and the frequency of their occurrence independently of one another.

6. A device according to claim 2 having means for regulating the duration of periods of connection and disconnection and the frequenc y of their occurrence, independently 01' one another.

'7. In a device of the class described, high and low pressure conduits, and means for circulating a liquid between said conduits to alternately make and break connection between the conduits.

8. In a device of the class described, high and low pressure conduits, a liquid seal between said conduits, and means for automatically alternately breaking and reelstablishing the seal.

9. I11 a device according to claim 1, means for regulating pressures effective in the high and low pressure conduits.

10. In a device of the class described, high and low u'essure conduits, a connecting passage between said conduits containing liquid exposed to the unequal pressures, whereby said liquid will be expelled from the passage and establish communication between the conduits. and means for automatically returning the liquid into the passage to break communication between the conduits.

ll. A device according to claim 10, having a receiver for the liquid arranged to automatically return the liquid into the passage to break connection between the conduits on the approximate equalizing of pres sures on the liquid in the receiver.

12. A device of the class described, comprising high and low pressure conduits, a connecting passage between said conduits including a liquid reservoir and a li uid receiver above the reservoir, and a sip 10H arranged to transfer a predetermined amount of liquid from the receiver to the reservoir.

13. A device according to claim 12, having means for regulating liquid flow from the receiver to the reservoir, and means for regulating the flow of liquid through the passage to establish connection between the conduits, and means for regulating the frequency oi such liquid. movement.

14. In a device of the class described, high and low pressure conduits, a reversely curved passage having enlarged chambers at its extremities, and connected at the crown of one of its curves with one of said conduits and connected through one of the chambers with the other conduit, a passage connecting the bottom of one chamber with the top of the other, and a siphon connecting an intermediate portion of the first passage with the lower chamber.

15. In a device of the class described, a U-tube having a receiver at the extremity of one of its arms and an inverted U-bend at the extremity of the other arm, a reservoir beyond the inverted U-bend below the receiver, a tube leading from the bottom of said reservoir into the receiver, a siphon con nected between the reservoir and that arm of the tube carrying the reservoir at a point below the reservoir bottom, a high pressure connection at the top of the inverted U- bend, and a low pressure connection at the top of the receiver, and a liquid partly filling the a paratus.

16. A (evice according to the preceding claim, having a flow regulating device in the U-tube below the receiver and in the tube connecting the reservoir and receiver, and controlling each of the high and low pressure connections.

17. A device according to claim 15, having a closed liquid containing vessel connected at its upper end with the high pressure connection, a pressure pipe discharging into said vessel below the level of liquid therein, and means for adjusting the liquid level in said vessel.

18. A method of delivering variable or impulse pressures, which comprises circulating a liquid to alternately establish and break communication between a high pressure and a low pressure conduit by means of the difference of pressures in said conduits.

19. A method of producing varying pressures, which comprises vertically oscillating a volume of liquid by differential ressures to discharge a portion of the liquid to separate a high pressure fluid from a low pressure fluid, and returning said separated liquid to the original body to establish connection between the high pressure fluid and the low pressure fluid.

20. A method of producing an intermittent vacuum, which comprises oscillating a volume of liquid by the difference between atmospheric and sub-atmospheric pressures to discharge a portion of the liquid and isolate the sub-atmospheric pressure from the atmospheric and in returning said portion of liquid to the original body by the dii" ferential pressures, whereby atmospheric pressure is admitted to contact with the sub-atmospheric pressure.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

OTTO MAASS. 

